Curtain-exhibitor.



CURTAIN EXHIBITOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1903.

NO MODEL.

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CURTAIN EXHIBITOIL' APPL'IGATION FILED APR. 22. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. HAVILAND AND CHARLES S. SIOKLESTEEL, OF BOULDER,

. COLORADO.

C U RTAIN-EXHIBITO R.

SEECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 746,506, dated December 8, 1903. Application filed April 22,1903. Serial No. 153,785. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID J. HAVILAND and CHARLES S. SICKLESTEEL, citizens of the United States, and residents of Boulder, in the county of Boulder and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Curtain- Exhibitor, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in curtain-exhibitors; and one object that we have in view is the provision of a simple and cheap construction by which a series of two or more curtains may be suspended in a way to overcome strain thereon and tearing thereof and to allow the curtains to be adjusted individually, to the end that a portion of each of a series of curtains may be displayed to view and comparison of the different patterns of curtains may be made to good advantage by a customer.

A further object is to provide means for raising all of the curtains above the floor when it is not desired to display them to view, thus placing the curtains out of the way, so that they will not take up floor-space.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1. is a perspective view illustrating the method of using our improved curtainexhibiton Fig. 2 is a View showing means for raising the curtains collectively above a floor. Fig. 3 is a detail View, on an enlarged scale, of the false curtain adapted to raise the curtains above the floor. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing the differentmeans of supporting the rails which carry the wires of the slidable curtain-carrying bars. Fig. 5 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of a tension-screw for one of the wires. Fig. 6 is a detail cross-section through one form of the curtain -carrier bar, and Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of one of the rails.

In carrying our invention into practice we employ a pair of supporting-rails 5 6, which may be suspended in an overhead position from'a ceiling, as shown by Fig. 1, or they may be fastened against opposing walls of a show-room or other place, as represented by Fig. 4.. In the construction shown by Fig. 1 we employ a series of hangers 7, which are fastened in a suitable Way to ceiling-plates 8 and are attached to the supporting-rails 5 6 at the end portions thereof. When the supporting-rails are suspended from the ceiling,

they are adapted to be held in place by a suit-- able number of stays, one of which is shown in the form of a wire 9, said wire being fastened at its respective ends to one of the rails and to the ceiling, and said wire stay is also provided with a swivel-nut 9 for properly adjusting the length of same.

One of the supporting-rails-as, for example, the rail 5'is provided with a series of nails or their equivalents 10, while the other supporting-rail 6 is provided with a series of tension-screws'll. (See Figs. 5 and 7.) The nails 10 and the screws 11 are fastened to the pair of supporting-rails 5 6 in alined positions, and to the nails and the screws are attached the end portions of a series ofsuspension wires, rods, cables, or cords.12. Each screw 11 is provided with a transverse opening 13 and with a square or polygonal head 14, (see Fig. 5,) said screws being embedded at proper intervals in the supporting-rail 6. One end of each cord, wire, or cable l2is fastened around the nail 10, while the other end of the cord, wire, or cable is passed through the opening 13 of one of the screws in a way to permit the wire or cord to be coiled on a projecting portion of said screw. The employment of the screws provides convenient means for readily tightening the wires, cables, or cords at any time in order to take up slack in said wire, cable, or cord.

The rails 5 6 are supported at suitable intervals and in parallel relation, and the wires, cables, or cords 12 are stretched taut between the fastening devices on said rails. We prefer to place the suspension-rails a distance apart exceeding the width of the curtains to be suspended, and the wires, cables, or cords 12 are of such length that a number 0t curtains may be displayed, one in rear of the other, at the same time.

Each curtain A is fitted to a carrier-bar 15,

which is slidable endwise on one of the wires, cables, or cords 12. The carrier-bar may be of any desired shape in cross-section, the same being shown circular in cross-section by Fig. 6; but the shape is not material. This carrier-baris provided with a pair of hangers 16, one of which is attached to the bar near each end thereof. The hangers are shown by Fig. 6 in the form of screw-eyes, and the eyes of the hangers are arranged in alinement, soas to loosely fit on one of the suspension wires or cords. The curtain A may be easily folded around the bar 15 and secured by anysuitable fastener,such as the safety-pin 17, (shown by Fig. 4,) thus making provision for the suspension of the curtain without tearing the same and preventing said curtain from sagging at any part.

It will be understood that we may employ any desired number of the suspension-cords 12 and that said suspension-cords may be of any suitable length, thus equipping the exhibitor with means for displaying a large number of curtains and allowing the carrierbars and the curtains to be adjusted individually along separate suspension wires or cords, so that the series of curtains may be advantageously displayed to view and the customer can compare the patterns of different curtains, as represented by Fig. 1. We have also provided means whereby the series of curtains may be raised collectively in order to prevent them from taking up floor-space. One embodiment of means for attaining this object resides in the employment of a false curtain 18, which may be made of canvas or any other appropriate material. An end portion of this false curtain 18 is attached to and adapted to be coiled on a spring-actuated roller 19, the shaft or trunnions 20 of which are mounted in suitable hangers 21, adapted to be fastened to a ceiling or to a supporting-rail 22. The curtainroller and its supports should be fastened to the ceiling adjacent to one end of the series of curtains A, and the false curtain 18 may be provided at its free corners with eyelets 23.

for the purpose of raising the curtain l8 and elevating the series of curtains A collectively. It will be understood that the hook 26 may be detached from one corner of the false curtain and that the cord 24 may be slackened to permit the false curtain to be raised to the position shown by Fig. 1 by coiling said ourtain on the roller 19. The curtains A are thus free from engagement with the false curtain 18, and they hang in vertical positions from the carrier-bars 15. It is evident that these bars may be drawn individually along the suspension rods or wires 12 by any suitable im plement, such as a hook or rod 28. (Shown by Fig. 1.) When it is desired to raise the curtains, the carrier-bars 15 should be adjusted in the same positions on the suspension wires or rods 12 as shown by Fig. 2, after which the hook 26 may be connected to the false curtain and the cords 24 25 be drawn downwardly for the purpose of raising the curtain 18, whereby said curtain is adapted to elevate the curtains A collectively to a position raised above the floor.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A curtain-exhibitor comprising a plurality of endwise-movable carriers, a selfturning roller mounted for rotation on an axis parallel to the path of the endwise-movable carriers, a false curtain attached to said roller to be wound thereon and adjustable across the path of the endWise-movable carriers, and means for raising and suspending the free end of the false curtain when unwound from the roller.

2. A curtain-exhibitor having a plurality of slidable curtain carriers, a spring-driven roller mounted for rotation on an axis parallel to the path of said carriers, a false curtain attached to the roller and adapted to be coiled thereon, said curtain being adjustable across the path of the carriers, and suspending and adjusting cords for said curtain, one of said cords having a detachable connection with the curtain.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID J. HAVILAND. CHARLES S. SICKLESTEEL. Witnesses:

L. S. DAY, A. T. HENRY, Jr. 

